Neurology
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To identify the rate of successful antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal after resective surgery and the predictors of postwithdrawal seizure recurrence in patients with extratemporal epilepsy. ⋯ Following resective extratemporal epilepsy surgery, AED can be successfully discontinued in only in a minority of patients. One-third of patients who recur fail to regain seizure control upon AED reintroduction. Longer duration of epilepsy prior to surgery, abnormal postoperative EEG, early postoperative seizures, and focal gliosis or dysplasia as substrate predispose to seizure recurrence. This information will be helpful in making rational decisions on AED withdrawal following extratemporal resective epilepsy surgery.
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To evaluate disparities in stroke risk factors and outcome among the Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPI) in Hawaii who are hospitalized with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ⋯ NHPI with ICH are younger and have higher burden of risk factors compared to white patients. Further studies controlling for socioeconomic modifiers are needed to determine factors contributing to the younger age at presentation in this racial group.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study Controlled Clinical Trial
Antiplatelets vs anticoagulation for dissection: CADISS nonrandomized arm and meta-analysis.
To present the results of the nonrandomized arm of the Cervical Artery Dissection in Stroke Study (CADISS-NR) trial, comparing anticoagulation and antiplatelets for prevention of recurrent stroke after carotid and vertebral dissection, and perform a meta-analysis of these results with previously published studies comparing the 2 therapeutic strategies. ⋯ www.dissection.co.uk, ISRNCTN44555237.
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There is a significant unmet need for serum biomarkers in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) that are predictive of therapeutic response to disease-modifying therapies. Following a recent Stanford study which reported that pretreatment levels of serum interleukin (IL)-17F could predict poor response to interferon-β (IFNβ) therapy, we sought to validate the finding using samples from a large clinical trial. ⋯ We were unable to validate the finding that serum IL-17F is a predictor of PR in a large independent cohort of subjects with RRMS. Differences in patient populations and methodology might explain the failure to validate the results from the Stanford study.